The Mission
by cyncay
Summary: Athos and Kay travel into Spain for a secret mission.
1. Chapter 1

I arrived at the camp and wandered through without being stopped or challenged by anyone. Considering the times and how long it had been since I had last visited, this was not a good sign and I would be sure to mention it. I found the tent I wanted, went in and figured out which cot to use and laid down. Some time later, I woke up as three familiar voices entered, laughing and joking. I lay still, waiting.

I knew as soon as one of them noticed me, for it went completely quiet in the tent. Even though he tried to be quiet as he approached, I could hear Athos' steps in the dirt as he approached the cot.

"Be careful where you place the gauche, Athos. I don't think Constance would like it if you got blood on her letter," I cautioned as I rolled over to look into his green eyes.

D'Artagnan pushed my Musketeer aside and pulled me up into an embrace. "Kay! You have a letter? Is it for me, I hope?"

I laughed and handed him the missive. "Of course."

He happily took his letter and retreated to his cot to read it, while I was folded into Porthos' hug. After a minute, I was pulled away from him to be held by Athos. This embrace was of a completely different sort, though it didn't appear so. I ran a hand over his hair, longer now than it had been last time I'd seen him.

We finally separated and sat down to talk. He asked me, "How did you get here so fast? I just sent the pigeon yesterday."

"I was already on my way from Paris. I met him on the road."

"On your way? We just found out about this."

I smiled. "I was actually just coming to visit, deliver a letter," I waved my hand in D'Artagnan's direction. "and to see how the horses are doing. But certainly, if you need my help, I'm more than willing."

"Tomorrow." Athos stated with a smile. "I was estimating a couple weeks before you got here, so there is plenty of time."

"Right. D'Artagnan and I can find somewhere else to bed down tonight." Porthos offered.

Hearing his name, D'Artagnan looked up from his reading. "What? Whatever."

"Thank you, but not necessary. I'll sleep in the stables or woods, where I'm more comfortable. If I have company, well,..." I let the sentence trail off.

Athos reddened while the other two laughed.


	2. Chapter 2

The four of us had a lively meal together. At Constance's request, I didn't tell them exactly how bad things were getting in Paris. Instead, I told them about watching Constance keep the cadets in line and me helping with practice. They laughed at the images I painted of the cadets being bested by two women and how it made them work harder. They shook their heads in sympathy at the tales of Treville dealing with the Council.

Finally, I excused myself to go see the horses. Athos walked a few steps away with me. "Would you like me to come with you now or join you later?"

"Give me about half an hour or so with them, then come find me."

In answer, he pulled me in and kissed me deeply. I returned the kiss happily, as I had been waiting for it since he had walked into the tent. We finally separated and he breathed, "Half an hour," before returning to Porthos and D'Artagnan.

On the unsteady legs the man still managed to give me, I took a quick detour by the kitchen area to grab some extra treats, then went to the stable area. Flip saw me first and quietly made his way over.

"You're not getting extra treats," I told him as I gave him a piece of carrot. "Just extra scratches."

Before I gave him more of either, I said, "I trust there have been no more problems with Porthos."

Flip shook his head, then pushed his nose against my chest. I laughed and gave him the rest of the carrot as I scratched his favorite place under his jaw. My laugh had caught Roger and Zad's attention and they were in front of me in seconds, demanding attention. The rest of the horses grouped behind them, waiting their turns.

As I greeted them and gave them bits of carrot and apple, Roger gave me an angry push, upset I hadn't come to see him and the others as soon as I got to camp.

"You really want to get snippy and fight over that instead of having treats and scritches?" I glared at him. "You're turning into a cranky old man."

His head immediately drooped and he let some of the younger horses shoulder him out of the way. I sighed and climbed into the paddock. I apologized to the others and told them to share as I emptied the bag of apples onto the ground for them. I held onto two and went after Roger, who was sulking on the other side of the ring.

I sat down a few feet away and started slicing one of the apples. "If you had waited just a minute, I would have told you I had gotten here earlier, but went straight to the tent. I was exhausted from traveling through the night and wanted to let Athos know I was here. He had sent me a message about an important mission he needed my help on.

"Instead, you smelled Athos on me and acted like a jealous boyfriend or petulant baby instead of the good friend I thought you were."

While I'd been talking, he'd slowly made his way to where I was sitting. He put his soft muzzle on my shoulder and sighed softly on my cheek, apologizing. He told me he was a little jealous, not of Athos, but of having to share my attention with all the other horses.

I kissed his nose and gave him a couple slices. "You know I love you more than any of them. I always will. Just don't tell Flip and Zad."

"i never thought my biggest competition for a woman would be my own horse." Athos commented with a sigh from behind me. "I can't even challenge him to a duel."

I just handed the other apple up to him. As he bit chunks out of it for Roger, I asked the horse, " We good to ride out in a day or two? I want you to think about the unclaimed kids and choose one for me that you think we will be able to work with and won't spook at the unknown."


	3. Chapter 3

Athos had his bedroll with him, so after good nights to my boys and all the others, the two of us walked a short distance from camp and found a clearing. We built a small fire, pulled out food and drink and got comfortable.

"You told us about Treville and the council. Are he and Dianthe still close?"

I chuckled. "You're asking for palace gossip? I don't ask the Minister about his private life and he doesn't ask about mine."

"But?"

"She's still his best advisor that no one knows about. As far as anything else, I have no idea. Now, tell me about this mission."

"Right to the point. We need to get behind the Spanish lines and capture one of their generals."

Sounds simple. Why you and me?"

"A number of reasons. We both speak Spanish, a couple is less likely to draw suspicion and you give us an edge. Plus, we'll get to spend a lot of time together."

"Listed like a true soldier." I quipped blandly.

"Come over here and I'll show you how much I'm thinking like a soldier right now."

I moved into his arms and we sat in front of the fire a bit longer. Eventually, we set our bedrolls out and laid down. Snuggled in his arms, I felt more comfortable there than anywhere else as we got reacquainted.

The next day, the four of us sat down with their General in his tent to look at maps and plan our routes and how to get close to the Spanish general.

"Captain, I don't see how you expect to succeed in this with just you and a woman. If there's trouble, you'll spend more time protecting her than focusing on the mission."

The Musketeers all laughed and Porthos spoke up. "General, this woman can hold her own in any fight. She was trained by Minister Treville and we've seen her take down two men by herself. Not to mention, she pushes large animals around like little dogs."

D'Artagnan chimed in. "If it wasn't for Kay, we wouldn't have most of what we know about the Spanish."

"So she's a traitor." the general sneered.

I got in the General's face before any the men could. "You deliberately misunderstand. I am a spy, and have been for many years. I have traveled all over France and Spain, been inside their camps and houses, gathering information and bringing it back to our military forces. I am no traitor, I am no weak woman that needs protecting and I will not tolerate any man trying to shame me for my sex."

Stepping back, I indicated the papers on the table. "Now, if we're all done going over my qualifications, shall we get to work."

Momentarily quieted, the general worked with us on routes and plans. At one point, he tried to insist on a shorter, less traveled route.

"Yes," I agreed, "it is both those things. The reason it's less traveled is this valley. It's full of very mean, very nasty vipers." I looked at Athos. "They aren't even willing to work with me."

"We'll take the longer route." he agreed.

We finally agreed on a route with an alternate if needed. Our story would be a simple one, we would be a newlywed couple and I was taking him home to meet my family. Glares from both me and Athos silenced the laughs of Porthos and D'Artagnan.

When we took a break to eat, the general studied me as I ate my usual bread, cheese and fruit while the men helped themselves to the cold ham. "If the ham is not-suitable-to you, I'm sure we can find some chicken or something else more to your liking."

The way he said suitable, I knew he was still trying to find fault. "No, that's fine. I actually don't eat any meat. It's a professional courtesy. The animals I treat get upset at the smell of meat on me."

"I thought you were a spy. There's only one way the Spanish would let a woman into their camps, and it wouldn't be to treat their animals."

I stood up, my whole body shaking with anger at the implied insult. Without even realizing it, I had my knife in my hand. Athos took it from me as he and the others also stood up. D'Artagnan gathered up all the maps and other papers from the table while Porthos looked down at the general.

"You owe this lady an apology as well as a thank you." He leaned down to look into the general's eyes. "Because of her and her ability with animals, she found out about a plot to kill you. Now, I'm thinking we should have let them go through with it."

As we all left the tent, Athos told the general, "Minister Treville will be hearing of this."


	4. Chapter 4

Early the next morning, Athos and I set off. We took our time the first few days, stopping at a few farms and villages to treat some of the animals and stock up on provisions. Kim, the horse Roger had chosen for me, preferred carrots to apples, but we hadn't wanted to take too many from camp.

Just under a week after we left camp, we crossed into Spain. This meant new outfits for us and the horses, as well as being more cautious on the road. Even though I had been in this area before, it had always been just me. With no horse or extra person, it had been easy to vanish if and when needed. Now, we avoided villages and farms, not wanting to invite conversation or questions. The roads were fairly empty, and the few other travelers we saw also kept to themselves.

By the end of the week, however, we needed fresh supplies. I took us to a small village I knew where we might get them without much trouble. After stabling the horses, we entered the small tavern. It wasn't much to look at, but it was clean and the food was good. We found an empty table where we could watch the others and sat. The rest of the people looked to be tavern regulars, though there seemed to be a few travelers and one group of soldiers near the front, talking and laughing loudly.

The young serving girl made her way over to us, apologizing, "We've only got some stew left, and that's mainly vegetables at this point."

"Just the way I prefer mine, Cristina." I laughed.

She took a closer look and her smile widened. "Rina! It's been so long. We thought, well, you know, with the war - but, apparently, it was someone that kept you away."

The last remark was said with a glance at Athos.

In response, he took my hand and lifted it to his lips for a gentle kiss. Cristina nearly swooned.

"I did get a bit distracted." I smiled at Athos. "Cristina, this is my husband, Oliver. We're on our way to see my family."

"I'm so happy for you both. Let me get that stew. And wine to celebrate with."

She left to get our food and drink. Athos had continued to hold my hand, my left one, and now played with the wedding band on my ring finger.

"You didn't tell me how you just happened to have wedding rings available. Since there was barely any notice of this mission before you sent for me and my arriving, you couldn't have had time to arrange for these."

He kissed my ring finger and gave his sardonic smile. "You see too much sometimes. I've been carrying these with me for some time now. This was an excuse to try them out."

As the realization of his words hit, I looked into his green eyes, seeing something I had never seen there before - hope. Before either of us could say anything, Cristina returned with two bowls of stew, bread and a bottle of wine. I spooned through my stew, finding the few bits of meat and scooping them into Athos' bowl.

We were enjoying the wine and delaying the rest of the earlier conversation. This was the first time I could think of that we were having trouble just talking, even when mad at each other. Our silence was interrupted by Pablo, the tavern cat, jumping into my lap.

Relieved to have the distraction, I turned my attention to the large grey-striped cat. I scratched him under the chin and murmured, "Hello, handsome, how are you?"

Athos leaned forward. "You may not want to have this conversation now. Too many other eyes and ears."

"Of course." We were silent once more, but now Athos had a faint scowl on his face. I finished the wine in my cup and stood. "I'm going to the stables. Where I can talk to my friends."


	5. Chapter 5

I walked away before he could say anything, mainly because I didn't want him to see the tear already running down my cheek. I found Cristina and asked her to make sure he didn't have more than one bottle of wine.

"You don't have to worry about that, mi amiga." she smiled. "He just put some coins on the table and is leaving now. I think he wants to apologise for whatever upset you and spend the night making up."

I couldn't help but smile as she sing-songed the last words. Since we were in a shadowed area of the tavern, Athos didn't see us as he left. I could see him well enough, though, to see the anger had been replaced by concern. I gave Cristina a quick hug goodnight and went after Athos.

He was already in the stable by the time I got outside. I stopped at the door when I saw him with Roger. I shook my head at the stallion to let him know I didn't want Athos to know I was there yet. I stood there and unabashedly eavesdropped on my two favorite males.

"Well, I did it again." Athos said to Roger. "Kay finally asked about the rings. I did tell I've been holding onto them for awhile, but I couldn't bring myself to actually tell her why. Obviously, she knew, how could she not? But we've never talked about - "

"Marriage." I finally said the actual word out loud for both of us.

Athos whirled around at the sound of my voice and was in front of me in two strides. "Yes, marriage. I love you, Kay. Something I didn't think I would ever say again to someone. And I want more than what we have now."

I put my arms around him and my head on his chest. "I love you. And I was hoping we might talk about this one day, but I didn't want to push."

He lifted my head to look into my eyes, smiling as he said, "Of course you wouldn't. You have more patience than anyone I know."

We moved together towards the stall with our bedrolls.

"Pardon the interruption, but I believe you are the woman we have been looking for." a male voice announced in Spanish behind us.

I turned to see the Spanish soldiers from the tavern. "Why would you be looking for me?"

"You are the animal healer, are you not? General Ortiz has issued standing orders for all patrols to be watching for you. You will have to come with us."

Athos and I looked at each other. Getting to the general was going to be easier than expected. "My husband has to come with me." I told them.

"Fine, just get your things and your horses and come with us."

Shortly after, we found ourselves in the Spanish camp outside the village. They tied my and Athos' ankles together and set a guard on us. We just settled on our bedrolls to get some sleep.

As we lay there, snuggled close, Athos whispered, "Not exactly how I planned to end this night."

"Oh good," I whispered back, " nice to know you weren't leading me on in the stables."

"Go to sleep, trouble."


	6. Chapter 6

Early the next morning, they had us up, in the saddle and on the move. We spent the next five days travelling, taking a different route than Athos and I had planned, but they weren't trying to avoid Spanish patrols. Because of this, we arrived at the main camp much sooner.

Athos and I were given a few minutes to clean and refresh ourselves before being taken to the general's tent. A guard watched over us outside while the captain informed General Ortiz of his prize. After a few minutes, we were escorted in. General Ortiz was in his 50's, maybe sixty pounds heavier than Treville with black hair going gray. His face reflected years of outdoor living in the leathered look of his skin. His eyes, however, were sharp as they looked at me.

"You are Rina, the animal healer I've heard so much about?" he laughed. "You might be good with those little dogs the senoras like to have around, but no way a tiny woman like you handles horses. No es posible."

I shrugged. "Then let me and my husband go. You've already taken us out of our way and put us off schedule."

He ignored my comment to look at Athos. "What kind of man are you, that you let your woman speak for you? Who is really in charge of this marriage?"

"You were speaking to her, not me, so there was no reason for me to say anything. But for the record, I agree with my wife."

The general walked to the tent flap. "I have also heard that Rina has no problem speaking her mind, no matter who it is to. So, I have a little test."

Outside the tent was a fine Andalusian stallion. He would have been perfect but for the bandage wrapped around a front hoof that was barely touching the ground. I stood there, squeezing Athos' hand as I resisted the urge to check the hoof.

"This is my most prized stallion, Onix. I was riding him in victory over a defeated enemy several weeks ago. He came up lame the next day and it has gotten worse ever since. We have contained the infection, but nothing gets rid of it. That is why I have had my men looking for you, Senora."

Onyx looked in my direction and gave a pain-filled whinny, asking for my help. My grip on Athos tightened. He leaned over and gently kissed my temple, "You have to help him, Kay. No matter what else, you can't go against your nature."

I turned to face my Musketeer and pulled him down for a full kiss, not caring who was watching. "Have I told you I love you in the last few days?"

"In so many ways. But I never get tired of hearing it. Or telling you I love you."

I moved forward to Onyx. I didn't immediately touch his hoof, but went to his head. "Hello, handsome. I know you're hurting and I'm going to do my best to help you. But it will hurt more before it feels better. Can you handle that?"

Onyx pushed his head against mine and snuffled softly, letting me know he trusted me. One of the other things he told me was that his actual name was Jaime. "I like that much better," I whispered to him with a smile.

The general stomped up to us. "What are you doing? You were brought here to treat his foot, not tell him how pretty he is while you pet him."

"If you want me to treat your horse, you'll let me do it my way. And that means back to wherever you've been keeping him, with lots of fresh clean bedding put down. I also need my coat and my pack, with everything that was in them. And I'll know what's missing."


	7. Chapter 7

General Ortiz looked like he was going to refuse all of my demands. Roger and Kim had been talking with the other horses and had told me their stories of abuse, bad or insufficient food and just enough treatment to get the horse back under saddle. Jaime helped me out by putting his hoof down to shift his weight, then immediately lifting it with a whinny of pain.

I kept staring at Ortiz the whole time. It was a trick I had used many times to gain the upper hand with a pack leader on my travels. When Ortiz blinked and turned his head, I knew I had won and anything I wanted was mine. He knew it as well and issued orders to his men to do whatever I needed.

Athos went with one group of soldiers to gather my items while I slowly walked back to the stabling area with Jaime. By the time we got there, his stall was ankle deep in the clean fresh bedding I'd wanted. While l I waited for Athos, I decided to start by unwrapping the hoof to see what I was dealing with. The smell of infection hit as about half the bandage was off and got worse as I continued to unwind it. Many of the soldiers who had come just to watch now had their mouths and noses covered against the smell. Some even made gagging noises and had to step away.

"Tell your weak stomached friends to get a fire started." I laughed at the few that managed to stay and watch.

The bottom two layers of the bandage were soaked with pus and starting to stick to the frog, which was the source of the infection. I took a moment to stroke Jaime's shoulder and let him know it was probably going to hurt when I removed the bandage. He turned his head to touch my back, softly whiffling his trust in me. I set my feet, took a grip on his foreleg and the bandage, then quickly yanked the bandage off. I was glad I had set my feet, otherwise I would have been pulled flat on my back when Jaime jerked reflexively.

I could feel him shaking from the pain, so I asked him to lay down to make things easier for me. He willingly sank down, trying not to groan too loudly at the ease it gave him. I used the middle section of the bandage to wipe the frog and hoof as clean as I could, then palpated the area gently but firmly, stopping when I got a flich and jerk from Jaime. There was also a rush of pus and blood confirming where I needed to concentrate my attention. I wiped the area clear then moved to hold his head in my lap and talk softly to him while we waited.

Athos arrived a few minutes later, his movements and face showing his anger. He had my coat and bag in one hand and a sack making clinking noises in the other. He stopped outside the stall, took a deep breath to calm himself and then came in, kneeling next to Jaime and stroking him gently.

"Lo siento, Rina. I'm sorry for the delay, but the soldiers, these idiotas, had taken everything out and they questioned me about each item and what it was used for. For some reason, my answers of 'No idea' and 'Don't know' didn't seem to make them happy. They got really upset though when one of them held up one of your knives and I told him it would be used to cut out the tongue of the next man to ask me any more questions instead of getting things together to get them to you."

"Estupidos! Bastardos!" I swore. "If they spilled or ruined any of my supplies, I'll be gelding some two-legged patients."


	8. Chapter 8

An older, nice looking man came in as I was speaking. "Senora, I'm the camp doctor, Juan Cardoza. I assure you, I made sure the men did not harm or destroy anything. I do apologize that I could not convince them to just leave your things alone, but they had their orders."

"Oliver, would you mind spreading everything out inside my coat? Oh, and have the soldiers heat two of my knives in the fire, please. Dr. Cardoza, are you the one that has been treating Jaime - Onyx?"

"Si, yes. I've done my best with limited resources and no knowledge of horses. The few soldiers that did have any knowledge have all been killed. Typical battle wounds, I can handle. This is outside my area. I did my best, treating it like a human infection with poultices and trying to keep it as clean as possible."

Athos didn't look up from laying out my things as he quietly commented, "If you were doing okay, why did the general decide to put out the word for Rina? And how did he know about her?"

"That was my fault. The general was not happy that Onyx was not getting better, so I asked the soldiers for ideas and they told me stories about you. I told the general it couldn't hurt to have patrols look. I honestly wasn't expecting them to actually find you, it had been so long since the last report of you anywhere in Spain."

"That's okay, Dr. Cardoza. I've dealt with men like him myself far too many times. What matters is getting Jai-Onyx better."

I had Athos trade places with me so I could quickly sort things back into my bag and coat. Once that was done, I laid them within easy reach of where I would be while I worked on the hoof. Looking at the doctor and Athos with consideration of what I was about to do, I asked the doctor to take over at Jaime's head.

With Juan settled there and Jaime comfortable, I told Athos, "I need you to hold his leg as still as possible. And I don't recommend straddling it. I have need of you later that would be cancelled by a sudden jerk."

With a knowing smirk, Athos got in a good position, while I had the soldiers bring in the heated knives and I pulled out a couple other tools.

Stroking Jame's foreleg, I told him, "Okay, sweetheart, this is going to hurt. A lot. I know you're going to want to to pull your foot away, but I want you to try and keep as still as possible. If it gets to be too much, you let me know."

Taking hold of the hoof, I warned all three of them as I set the knife to the infected area and gently scraped. Jaime jerked a bit in automatic response, but held. I scraped a bit harder the next time and felt the tremors as he forced himself to hold his leg still.

"Okay, querido, now I'm going to get real serious and I'm not going to stop unless you tell me to. This is where it's really going to hurt. I'll be as fast as I can, but I need to get it all."

I took a deep breath and went to work, digging into the infected area and letting a stream of pus run out. As I hit some of the more sensitive spots, I could feel Jaime tense as he resisted the urge to jerk his leg away. He did let out a number of pain-filled groans and the occasional whimper.

I paused a moment to look to Jaime's head. Athos looked with me, then gave me one of his rare full grins. Juan was cradling Jaime's head, stroking his jaw and gently reassuring him. With a small smile of my own, I finished scraping out the hoof.

"Okay, Jaime, that part is done. Hopefully for good. I want you to stand up for me now. Put your hoof down on this clean cloth just long enough to get up. I doubt you'll want to keep your weight on it barely that long anyway."


	9. Chapter 9

The three of us braced him as he struggled to his feet. He huffed in pain the whole time his hoof was down and lifted it as soon as he was standing. I checked it again, but didn't see any signs of pus or blood - yet. Juan came to look at it and asked me exactly what I had done. I explained it to him as I cleaned up all the dirty straw and infected hoof from the ground. He was genuinely interested, which was unusual.

After throwing all the waste on the fire, I returned and looked at the stabling area. I turned to one of the watchdog soldiers, a boy barely old enough to shave. "I'll need my and my husband's things brought here. I also require a larger supply of sulfur than what I have on hand. See that those things are taken care of."

"Senora, the general has a tent near him for you to stay in while you are his guest."

I restrained myself from snorting at the word guest. Instead, I asked dryly, "Is it large enough for my patient as well?" The young man turned red and stammered for an answer. I relented and told him him in a softer tone, "It's not your problem. Retrieve our things and if anyone questions you, tell them you are following my orders and to talk to me."

The boy rushed off and Juan chuckled. "You stand up to the general, but a mere boy makes you crumble. You truly are are a puzzle, Rina. Which reminds me - " he said as we reentered Jaime's stall. Looking to make sure the guards were not close as we neared Athos, he continued,"Why do you call him Jaime and not Onyx?"

"Because his real name is Jaime." I shrugged.

"His real name?"

"The one his mother gave him." Looking at Athos, I changed the subject, "Hope you weren't planning on sleeping in anything resembling a bed. I ordered our things brought here."

"I've learned not to plan when you are involved." Athos teased."Though we do need to talk about some things and get them arranged."

Juan didn't take the hint."How do you know what his mother named him? Were you there?"

Jaime pushed Juan with his head as he gave a small horse laugh, then huffed in pain from putting his foot down without thinking.

"No, we never met before today." I told him. "Juan, I think I can let you become part of a very exclusive secret club. But to be part of it, it requires you to trade a secret for a secret. I want you to whisper one of your deepest kept secrets to Jaime."

"I do not understand."

"You will."

Still looking uncertain, Juan told his secret to Jaime, who then passed it on to me. As he did, he put his head on Juan's shoulder and pulled him closer.

"What?"

"He's hugging you. For what you just told him. And me. Because you realize, even if this is a lie as a test, if I tell anyone, it is enough to get you executed."

Athos and I moved closer to Jamie's head, making sure we could not be overheard. I held a bag of oats for Jaime to munch on as I looked at Juan. "You told Jaime that even though you are married, you are actually in love with your wife's brother. And he with you."

Juan stumbled back a step and might have fallen if Athos hadn't taken his arm. "That is - that's - how?! Jaime told you?! You can talk to animals? And they talk to you? Madre de Dios! Are you a - ?"

A witch?" I finished the question. "No, no more than you are an abomination. But now you see why I wanted a secret for a secret."

"Yes, certainly. Although, yours would have been safe with me regardless. That is amazing."

"I believe that. And yours is safe with us. Ah, I do believe the general has found out we are not staying in the tent he provided. This should be fun."


	10. Chapter 10

A few seconds later, General Ortiz did indeed look briefly into the stall. He quickly withdrew as the faint smell of infection still lingered. Athos, Juan and I exchanged amused grins, then composed ourselves and stepped out to where the general waited.

"My captain told me you are insisting on sleeping here, in the stall on the ground. I have a tent set aside for you in the camp, with cots and a table and chairs. It's not much, but I thought you might appreciate some comfort while you are here."

"We do appreciate the gesture, but I need to be close to Onyx. There are still several days of treatment before I can even begin to tell how this will affect him for the future."

The future? What do you mean? You will fix him perfectly so there are no future problems."

"It's not that simple, General. So let me do what you brought me here to do. In my own way, without questioning my every move or trying to order me around like one of your soldiers. I'll know what I know when I know it and I'll let you know after that."

"If one of my men spoke to me to me like you do, I would have him immediately flogged. The fact that you are a woman is the only reason I do not."

"Don't let me being a woman stop you. I talk to everyone the exact same way, whether they are a farmer or a king. All I care about is getting their animal well."

To all of our surprise, the general started laughing and slapped Athos on the shoulder. "You are a lucky man, my friend. Your wife reminds me of my beloved Rosa. I may have been in charge of my troops, but she ruled our house. She was a woman. And in the bedroom...Oh, she knew how to keep a man happy."

The general turned to one of the men and ordered our things brought up, then asked if we would at least dine with him that evening. I begged off, saying I needed to nap as I would be up later that night checking on Onyx. Athos backed me, saying I didn't trust others to do the job, that I would be in looking no matter what.

The general nodded, and he and Juan left together. All of the soldiers left as well. Apparently, we weren't considered a threat and since I had a patient, there was no fear of me running off. Three young soldiers arrived back a short time later with our things and a large basket.

Athos took the basket, leaving me to arrange our bedrolls in the stall. I sighed dramatically, "I guess this means the honeymoon's over if I'm making the beds."

He grabbed me from behind and lifted me off the ground, kissing the nape of my neck as he replied, "You're the one who told me not to give you special treatment. Now you're upset because I don't. You can't have it both ways, woman."

He set me down, turning me to face him. I laughed, "I want things my way."

I pulled his head down for the kiss we'd not been able to have since the Spanish had taken us captive more than a week before. "We have some time to make up for."


	11. Chapter 11

Jaime's hoof was still clear of infection the next morning and he said it didn't hurt quite as much. Although it did feel funny when he tried to set it down. When Juan showed up a bit later with a supply of sulfur, he watched as I packed it in the space I had scraped out the day before. This made it a bit easier for Jaime to put his foot down for moving around, though he still couldn't put weight on it for long.

Once that was done, Juan and I went walking amongst all the other horses, giving us privacy to talk. The horses were as happy to see him as they were to see me, and he greeted them easily, stroking them and talking to them.

"Juan, I have another secret I want to share with you. Oliver and I weren't on our way to see my parents. We were actually trying to find this camp, to find the general. I'm a spy for France and Oliver is a French soldier. We were sent here on a mission."

"Why are you telling me this? Is it another test?"

"No, not at all. I'm telling you because I was thinking that you might like to come back to France with us. Later, we can arrange for your loved ones to join you there."

"You just met me yesterday and you have told me two huge secrets and make this invitation. I do not understand why."

"Because you have a huge secret of your own that can get you killed by your people. I understand that very well. And I don't need to know you for years to know you're a good man. Seeing you with Jaime yesterday and watching you as we've been walking has told me a lot. Animals are great judges of character, plus I'm lucky enough for them to actually be able to tell me what they think of someone."

"I suppose I should ask what your mission is concerning the general. That would probably help me decide."

I nodded in understanding. "We aren't here to kill him. We're to kidnap him and bring him back to France for questioning about Spanish troops and military secrets."

"You and Oliver have a plan to accomplish this? Why isn't Oliver with us?" he was suddenly suspicious.

"Several reasons." I reassured him. "The main one being that I have a plan I haven't told Oliver about yet. It is almost guaranteed to secure the general with hardly any fighting, but I know he will not approve of it. I want to wait until the last possible moment to let him know the details. I hope to have your and the horses' support to get him to follow through with it."

"And do you really think I would be welcome in France?" Juan changed the subject, so I figured I had reassured him on that count.

"I'm sure of it. The King and council may have some questions for you, but then you can go anywhere in France you want or even another country if you prefer."

There were tears in his eyes as he suddenly grabbed me in a hug and held me for several minutes, both of us surrounded by the horses.

"It's bad enough I have to compete with all the different animals for her attention. Don't tell me I have to deal with you, too." sighed Athos.

Juan let me go and started babbling, trying to explain. "Oh no, I wasn't - I mean, Rina is a lovely woman, but - I would never - she isn't -"

Athos and I both laughed and I spoke to Juan in the same calming tone I used with panicked patients. "Juan, he's teasing you. Something he doesn't do with many people unless he likes and trusts them. Relax."

Then I looked at Athos and my tone changed. "And you, don't do that to the poor man. He was just thanking me."

"Quite a thank you. What for?"

"I told him the truth about why we are here and asked if he would like to come back to France with us."

"I see. And when were you going to discuss this with me? We haven't even sat down to make plans for returning to France."

Juan softly said, "I'll just let you two talk about this in private and see you later."

I gave him a smile as he and the Spanish horses left. Only Roger and Kim stayed for the discussion between Athos and I.

"Kay, what the hell are you doing, telling him that? For all you know, he's going straight to the general right now." Athos growled as he tried to give me one of his angry looks.

I waved him off. "Don't even try the look on me, you know it doesn't work. And considering Juan's secret and his reaction to my invitation, as you saw, I doubt he's going to say a word to the general or anyone else. He dislikes the man more than we do."

Roger and Kim both snorted and nodded their heads. Athos gave them a dirty look, which was no more effective than one he'd given me. "How would you two know? You're only agreeing with her hoping to get treats."

Roger nodded again and pulled his lips open in a horsey grin, but at the same time he nudged Athos for head rubs. Athos tried to maintain a stern face and ignore him, but Roger persisted until Athos gave in with a sigh. As he rubbed Roger's favorites spots, he said, "Fine, he is a good man. But we haven't even started talking about a plan. And we have to figure out how to get the general away from those soldiers he always has around him. I know you can fight, but there's still a limit."

"Actually, I've been thinking on that, and I may have an idea. I just want to go over a few more things in my head before I tell you about it. Okay?"

He wasn't happy with it, but knew not to push me more at the moment. He pulled me into a hug very different from Juan's, whispered, "You are infuriating at times." then changed the hug to a deep kiss. That kiss led to another and then another, each one deeper and longer than the last.

After quite some time, we finally managed to separate and headed back to camp in search of food. Time was running out before I would have to implement my plan and hope it was too late for him to react.


	12. Chapter 12

The next week passed in relative peace. Athos and I wandered in the woods around the camp, supposedly continuing our honeymoon. Although we did take advantage of the privacy, I also used it to talk to a number of my camp spies. Birds, field mice, even foxes and squirrels would meet us and report about various conversations they heard. Some of them would bring dispatches, reports and maps showing troop deployments. The Spanish army was the enemy of all these animals and they were willing to work together to get us information that would help get rid of them.

Unfortunately, although we had been asked not to walk through the camp itself without an escort, the general still "requested" we dine with him. We managed to avoid all but a couple evenings. The first night, he had Juan and several of his officers there, with most of the conversation revolving around the men and their families.

"And what about you two? Are you Looking forward to having a houseful of ninos of your own? Would you prefer boys or girls?" the general finally asked us.

Athos responded quicker than I expected, "I'd be thrilled with a little girl just like her mother."

"But with her father's beautiful green eyes and smile." I added. "Although a handsome son would be fine with me as well."

Athos picked up my hand and kissed the palm, with a quick dash of his tongue tip thrown in as a tease. "Maybe one of each, at least?"

"We can talk." I laughed.

The second time, it was just us, Juan and the general, who got to the point fairly quickly. "So, Senora, how is Onyx's hoof?"

I took a sip of my wine and sighed as I told him, "Although the initial irritation and infection are gone, I'm afraid it wasn't without leaving lasting damage. Onyx will be able to walk, but he will have the slightest of limps the remainder of his life. And when he is ridden at faster gaits, it will be even worse."

Athos narrowed his eyes as he listened to my lies, but didn't say anything. Juan wisely kept quiet and even managed a somber face when the general looked at him. I waited a few beats, then continued with my plan.

"General, I know the thought of not having Onyx as your mount saddens you. What if I could offer you a steed just as magnificent, and that would make you the center of attention even more than Onyx did?"

All three men openly stared at me.

The general laughed. "If there were such an animal,I would already have him."

"I'm not talking about from a ranch or a breeder with overbred bloodlines. I'm talking about a wild stallion, white as snow. You appear on him, you will capture everyone's attention."

"And you know where this stallion is? And can capture him for me?"

"Yes, in a valley not two days from here. With only ten of your best men I can capture him."

"Magnifico. We leave at first light tomorrow. What else do you require?"

"Personally, just the support of my loving husband." I smiled at Athos, who I could tell was furious with me. "But maybe Dr. Cardoza should come with in case there are any injuries. And bring Onyx, so you can compare them right there."

We said our good nights after that and the general called for his aide. They started making preparations for the next morning and selecting the men to go with. Juan headed for his tent, while Athos stalked to our sleeping area without saying a word. I started to walk by, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me in.

I yanked free. "Don't ever do that again."

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Telling the general about this valley and stallion without checking with me. This is your plan? I know which valley you mean, Kay. There's no stallion there, only death. You said so yourself."

"I have a plan." I told him calmly. "I didn't tell you sooner because I knew you'd react like this."

"Of course I am," he growled. "Kay - "

I put my arms around his neck. "Trust me. Just a couple more days. Please."

A sighed and resigned, "Do I have a choice?" was my answer.

"Good. Now, let's enjoy this last night of privacy before we have to sleep in the open with company for who knows how long again."

We left camp the next morning and reached the edge of the valley by mid-afternoon the next day. There hadn't been much joking or light-hearted banter as Athos and I were each caught in our own thoughts and it wasn't allowed among the general's men. While the soldiers erected shelters for all of us, General Ortiz, Juan, Athos and I discussed how I would capture the general's stallion.

"The soldiers and I will go into the valley and slowly box him in. Once we have the rope on him, we bring him back out for you to take back and start training." I explained.

"You make it sound so easy." the general commented. "And the three of us will just wait here for you? You don't need our help?"

"Sometimes, the fewer people involved, the easier something is," I said, with a glance at Athos. "It's just a matter of knowing what you're doing and putting it into action."

"A military mind."

"Please, General, no insults. Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I'm going to check on the horses, then turn in for the night."

I made my way to the small holding area for the horses and told Roger, Kim and Jaime what I would need them to do the next day, because I was sure that Athos would at some point hesitate, despite what he said.

Back at the shelter, Athos was waiting for me. I slid in next to and he held me in his arms. "Okay, time to tell me the whole plan. What are you thinking, Kay? Going into that valley is suicide."

The break in his voice almost made me change my mind. I laid there with my head on his chest for a minute before replying. "I'm taking a gamble that I've been bitten enough over the years that I've built up a tolerance. And I've been injecting myself with more venom this past week just in case. I might get really sick, but I should be okay."

And while you're gambling on the maybe's, what am I doing?"

I braced myself so I could look at him. "You seriously did not pick up on the whole plan when I was explaining it to the general? While I'm in the valley, getting rid of ten of Spain's best, you are taking the general to the border, like the original mission calls for ."

"No. I'm not leaving you."

"Again, this is why I waited. Yes. It's the perfect time. You get to the border with the general, wait there two days for me. If I don't meet you by then - " I left the sentence unfinished.

"Don't even go there. You just said you should only get sick."

"We need to think of all possibilities. If I'm not there after two days, take the general and finish the mission. Promise me."

"Fine, I promise." he huffed.

"Good. Now, I want another promise as well. That if something goes wrong, you won't shut yourself off like before. I want you to keep living."

"Do you know something I don't?" he asked suspiciously.

I ran a hand through his hair. "No, I just want to be prepared for everything. My main plan is to be around for years to annoy you with my crazy plans."

"Good." He kissed me. "Now that we've got all that semi-settled, let's try to get a little sleep."

Early the next morning, before the sun was even touching the horizon, I had the soldiers stripping off anything that might make noise. Belts, swords, weapons of any kind, all their metal came off. As they were doing that, I had a few last moments with Athos.

He cupped my face, kissing me. "I love you. Hurry back."

"I love you. Never forget. Two days."

I led the soldiers into the valley, following clear paths to a certain point deep in the center. There I had them each go 100 paces in different directions and wait quietly for my signal. As I waited, I thought about the past few years and what changes had happened in my life. I hoped Athos and Juan were well on their way to the border with the general and Jaime. I was hoping to meet them soon so Athos and I could have the life we had just started talking about.

As mid-morning came and the heat with it, I detected the vipers starting to come out to find rocks to start sunning themselves on. When I felt there were enough out that the soldiers had no way of escaping, I took out my small pistol and fired it into the air. This wasn't the signal the soldiers were expecting, so it startled them as well as the vipers. The men started yelling and running, and the vipers started striking blindly at anything that moved. As they fell, the soldiers screamed in pain and thrashed about even more, causing the vipers to strike more.

I started to slowly make my way back up the path toward the entrance, but my way was quickly blocked by vipers. Looking around, I saw more coming to surround me. I attempted to speak with them, apologizing for upsetting their day and routine, trying to explain the circumstances, but they would have none of it. All that mattered was that their territory had been invaded.

I stood motionless for a few minutes, then suddenly took off running for the entrance, jumping and dodging as best I could. I felt fangs hitting my feet, ankles and lower legs, but kept going. I knew I wouldn't make it out before the venom hit, but if I could get close enough -

I fell well short of where I hoped and the vipers swarmed over me, biting anywhere they could in pure fury. As I felt blackness come over me, my final thoughts were that I hadn't planned for this many vipers and that Athos was going to be mad at me. I wasn't going to make the border.

-FIN-


End file.
